Route indicator



May 8 1923.

E. SHRUBSOLE ROUTE INDICATOR Filed May 15 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MVf 11/70/43 J/uubsole,

May 8, 1923. 1,454,793

E. SHRUBSOLE 1 ROUTE mpxcmoa Filed May 15. 1922 2 sheets-sheet 2 u v V Patented I b45433 I aon'rE INDICATOR.

Applicationfiled May 15 T 0 all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ERNEST SHRUBsoLE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Route Indicators, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to route indicators or distance recorders 0f the kind used on road and rail vehicles,'and more often on motor propelled road vehicles and wherein a map or chart of the route, in the form of a tape, is wound off one reel or roller onto another at a speed proportional to the speed of the vehicle travelling along the route, the map or chart being moved past an indicator or pointer so that the position and all places of business or of interest are pointed out on the map or chart.

The objects of the invention are to provide a smooth feeding of the tape in correct alignment by means of mechanism which is of simple construction, and is readily adaptable if required to feed the tape in two directions to suit the direction of travel of the vehicle on which the route-indicator or recorder is mounted, that is to say will efdifficulties which arise with some'known' forms of route indicators or recorders.

According to the invention an electromagnetic feeding clutch is adapted intermittently to grip the tape or chart, feed it forward and then release it and return it to the initial position readyfor the next feeding movement.

11 order to'permit of a reverse feed, two feeding clutches are employed only one being operable during'any period of travel, according to the direction of travel of the vehicle, means being provided to effect automatically the change in the operation or driving of the feeding clutches.

An adjustable stop is provided for limiting and permitting of variation inthe stroke or throw of the clutch at each oscillation or 1922. I Serial no. 561,212. i

reciprocation, to enable a a be readily adjusted to any driving wheel diameter'or scale of'chart. I r I I adjusted by the same device.

" In thefldrawings Figure 1 is a front sectional elevation of one form of route indicator according to r When two clutches are used, 'both'maybe the invention adapted to feedthe tape in one direction only,

Figure 2being asidesectional elevation on II-II, Figure 1, a

Figure 8 is a plan of another-formof route indicator which is adapted to feed the tape in two directions, thetop of the easing being removed and part of' the feeding niechanism' being broken away,

Figure 4 being a front sectionalel ivation" of the same indicator. Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a plan" I and a side'viewof an "automatic" reversing a switch.

Figure 7 is a nectlons. Y

' Figure'S is a sectional elevation" of two diagram of electrical con feeding clutches" arranged in one feeding roller,-

Figure 9 being a diagrammatic front elef vation illustrating the mode of 1 usingthe same. i

Figures IOand llare'ffront sectional elei vations illustrating other forms of feeding clutch. a

In theformof route indicator illustrated in Figures 1 and'2 a suitable casin :lis I provided with freely rotatable shafts "2 and] 1 3 on which the tapereels 4 andt are frictionally mounted, for instance each reel is free on its shaft but is frictionally engaged by a spring washer 6 which. also engages I withacollajr 7 fixed on the" shaft, -whereby undernormal conditions each spool is com pelledto rotate with the shaft, but/under excessive stress, due for instance toiexcessive tension in the tape, either reel can'slip rela tively to its shaft. A freely movable feeding'element such as an iron feeding roller Sisfreely mounted on a shaft 9. The shaft 9 is free to rotate but is'steadied by-spring washers 1O engaging with collars 11 "onthe sha'ft 9 and withwashers l2 in contact with the adjacent'sides of the casing 1. The feedand serving as a gripper.

ing roller 8 is provided with a toothed wheel 13 meshing with a toothed wheel 14 fixed on the shaft 3, the wheel 13 being conveniently screwed to the wooden boss 16 of the iron roller 8. The tape 14 is wound intermittently off the reel 4 over the feeding roller 8 onto the reel 5, by means of a feeding-clutch comprising an electro-magnet 15 having a core 241 fixed on the shaft 9 and provided with bobbins 18, 19, a stationary armature 20, conveniently screwed to a bracket 21, and a movable armature 22 carried by, a spring 23 screwed to the core 2e The two armatures are situated adjacent to opposite poles of the magnet core 24. A spring att ached at one end to the core 24 normally holdsthefllatter at a slight distance from the stationary armature 20, While the spring 23 holds, the gripper or movable armature 22 at a sufficient distance from the surface of i theiron feeding roller 3, as to permit of an oscillatory movement ofthe gripper or movable armature in one direction out of contact with the tape 14. 'When the electrom agnet is energized, as hereinafter eX- plained, the two armatures 20, 22, are attracted by therespective poles of the magnetcore24=, the-gripper or movable armature 22 being drawn down firmly to grip the tape 14- against the feeding roller 8, whereas, the armature 20 being stationary the respectiv pole of the core 241 is compelled to move towards it against the action of the spring 25, so that the roller 8 is partly rotatedgand the tape 14 is fed forward, in theidirection indicated by the arrow in Flgure 1. At the same time the reel 5 is partly rotated byv "the toothed wheels 13 and 1 to wind up the tape so fed.

When the electro-magnet is de-energlzed the spring 23 iwithdraws the gripper or movable armature 22 to release'the tape and the spring 25 returns the core 24 to its normal-'positiomthe feeding-roller 8 remaming stationary.- The normal position of the core 2 1. and also the' degree of oscillation of the core and therefore of-the gripper 22 is .de-

- termined-byan adjustable stop 26 slidably monnted.-on. aaguide rod 27v supported in brackets 21,-29,-b ut adjustable by a rod 30 rotatably isupported in said brackets, and provided with; a screw threaded portion 31, engagii'igv in a corresponding screw threaded hole in the stop 26, a turn-button or milled head 32 beingymounted on the rod 30 to facilitate turning thereof. 1

-,-'Tl16;b Ol)blI1Sgl8, 19, are energized by a current from anysuitablesource of electrical supply such asthat'for the vehicle or abatter'y carried on the vehicle,- controlled by a switch worked in synchronism with therrunning of [the -=v ehi cle. T'These details are not shown in Figures 1 and 2 but will be obvious from the description hereinafter given with reference to the form of indica- I tor illustrated in Figures 3 to 7. This form is similar to that above described, but differs in that two feeding rollers 8, 8, are used, each provided with a magnetic clutch feeding device of similar construction only one being operative at a time for feeding the tape in a direction corresponding to the direction of travel of the vehicle, the left hand roller 8v and its clutch being operative when the tape is to be fed from right to left and the right hand roller 8 and its clutch when the tape is to be fed in the opposite direction. Both shafts 2 and 3 for the reels i and 5 are provided withtoothed wheels 14 meshingwith toothed vwheels 13 on-the rollers 8. The two stops 26 are conveniently mounted on the same rod 27 V and s-spindle 3-1- is supported partly by the casing 1 and partly by a-bracket 35 and is prevented from moving endwise by two collars 37, 38 and a spring 39which abuts, against the disc and against theboss 4=Oof the bracket 35 and also ensures electrical connection. between the disc and the bracket. lwo contact plates'al, are secured to opposite sides of a resilienttongue 4E3 of insulating material firmly secured as by brackets 4A to the casing 1. According ,to the direction of rotation of they disc 33:dependent uponthe direction of travel of the vehicle sowill a rod 4-5 thereonmake contact with one only of the contactplates all. Beferring to the diagram, Figure 7, the bracket 35, and consequently the rod 45, are vconnected by a lead dilto a source ofelectric supply 4? which is also connected byeleads 48 through terminals-d9 to thexbobbins of the elcctro-magnets 15 n which in turn are connected by leads 50 throughterminalsbl to thecontact plates 41. Therefore, it: is obvious that accordingto the directionpf travel of the vehicle and consequently of the rotation of the disc 33, so willone or the other of the electro-magnets 15 ,be intermittently energized tolfeedthefape ii -the corresponding direction.

Moreover the reversal, in the direction of the travel of the tape is elfectedautomatically by the reversal in the travelof the vehicle. The switch may be mounted in any suitable position on the vehicle so long as armature 52 and to a gripper memes it is operated in synchronism with the running of the vehicle and in proportion to the speed of travel thereof.

Instead of the two electro-magnetic feeding clutches being provided with separate feeding rollers 8 they may be provided at opposite ends of a single feeding roller 8 as indicated somewhat diagran'imatically in Figure 8, their bobbins being connected in a similar circuit to that shown in Figure 7. In such a case the roller 8 is conveniently arranged between two reels 4; and 5 as indicated in Figure 9. Another form of feeding clutch is illustrated in Figure 1t), comprising an electro-magnet having an armature 52 carried bya rod 53 sliding in a bearing 5 1 and having a connecting rod 55 pivotally connected at its, ends to the 53 respectively. The gripper 53' is connected to a spring 5%. A projection 55 on the connect ing rod 55 slides in a slotted guide or cam 56. In operation, when the electrmmagnet is intermittently energized, as in the forms of the invention hereinbefore described, the

-. armature 52 is attracted and the gripper 53 is pulled onto the tape passing around the feeding roller8 gripping the same tightly thereon and also causing the roller 8 to partly rotate to feed the tape forward.

the spring 54: retracts the gripper 53 and the armature 52, the roller 8 remaining stationary. A somewhat similar form of clutch is shown in Figure 11, in Wl1lCl1 cor responding parts are indicated by similar reference numerals. In this form the gripper 53 isloose on a rod 57 pivoted freely on the shaft 9 of the roller 8. A spring 58 tends, to hold the gripper 53 away from the roller 8 against an adjusting connecting rod 55 passes through a hole in the gripper 53 and is fitted with a nut 60.

It is pivotally connected to the core 61 of' the magnet. A spring 54 holds the rod 57 in the normal position. In operation when the magnet 15 is energized the core 61 is drawn into the bobbin 18 of the magnet and pulls the gripper onto the tape passing over the roller 8 gripping it firmly thereon and also causing it to partly rotate. On deenergization of the magnet the parts are returned to their normal positions by the springs 5 1 and 58.

I claim:

1. A route indicator or recorder having a tape, a feeding device therefor comprising a movable feeding element over which the tape is passed, a gripper adjacent thereto, pivotally supported electro-magnetic means adapted when energized to move said gripper onto said tape to grip it against said feeding element, and means for retracting said gripper to free the tape when said electro-magnetic means is ale-energized, sub- At, each de-energization of the electro-magnet nut 59. The

stantially as and for the purposehereim before set forth. p v

2. A route indicator or recorder having a tape, a feeding device therefor comprislng -a movable feeding element and over which said tape is passed, anv electro-magnet having a pole beneath and close to sa d teedmg moving said feedingelement, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set :forth.

'3. A route indicator or recorder having a tape, a feeding device therefor comprising a movable feedingrollerand over which said tape. is'passed, a, gripper adjacent to said roller and electro-magnetic means adapted to move said gripper onto said tape to grip it against said feeding roller, means operable by said electroanagnetic means for moving said gripper together with said feeding roller when inengagement with the tape thereon and means for retracting said gripper to free saidroller and tape,substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

a. A route indicator or recorder having a tape, a feeding device therefor comprising a movable feeding roller, over which said tape is passed, a-pivotally mounted electromagnet having two/poles, one pole being adjacent to theunderside of said roller, and a gripper in the form of an armature above saidroller and said pole, a spring connected tosaid electro-magnet for supporting said armature, a stationary armature adjacent to the other pole of said 'electro-magnet, and a spring tending to hold said electro-magnet with sa d other pole away from'sa-id stationary magnet,:and means for intermit tently energizing said electro-magnetfor the purpose of attracting said gripper into contact with the tape on the feeding roller and for attracting the stationary armature for oscillating said electro-magnet to move said gripper, tape and roller together, substantially ,as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

5. Ina route indicator or recorder having a tape, movably mounted electro magnetic means,- a clutch operated by said means for gripping said tape,means for moving said electro magnetic means and clutch forward while in contact with said tape, and means for returning said clutch alone to its initial position free of said tape after said forwardfeeding movement, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

6. A vehicle route indicator or recorder having a tape, an electro-magnetic clutch for gripping said tape, means for moving said clutch in one direction While in contact with said tape to feed the same, means for returning said clutch to its initial position while tree of said tape, a second electromagnetic clutch for gripping said tape, means for moving said second clutch while in contact with said tape in a reverse direction to that of the feeding movement of the first mentioned clutch, and means for returning said second clutch to its initial position while free of said tape, electrical circuits for energizing said c'alutches and means for controlling said circuits, substantially as and for the purpose hereinhefore set forth.

7. A vehicle route indicator or rec-order having a tape, an electro-inagnetic clutch for gripping said tape, means for moving said clutch in one direction while in contact with said tape to feed the same, means for returning said clutch to its initial position while free of said tape, a second electro-magnetic clutch for gripping said tape, means for moving said second clutch while "i contact with said tape in a reverse direction to that 01 the feeding movement of the first mentioned clutch, and means for returning said second clutch to its initial position while free oi said tape, electrical "circuits for energizing said clutches and a rotary switch for controlling said circuits adapted to be rotated in either of two directions according to the direction of travel of the vehicle on which the indicator or recorder is mounted substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

8. A vehicle route indicator or recorder having a tape,-two electro-magnetic clutches adapted to feed the tape in opposite directions. independent electrical circuits for energizing said magnetic clutches and means for intermittently closing and opening said circuits, adapted to effect intermittent operation of only one of said clutches according to the direction oftrazvel of the vehicle on which the indicator or recorder is mount-' ed, substantlally as and for the purpose hereinhefore set forth.

' 9. In a vehicle route indicator or recorder having a tape, two electromagnetic clutchesi'or feeding said tape in opposite directions, each of said clutches con'iprising a feeding roller over which said tape is passed, a gripper adjacent thereto, and electro-magn'etic means for moving said gripper onto said rip it against said feeding roller tape to g and for then imparting a feeding movement to said roller and gripper, and means for releasing and returning said gripper to its initial position, substantially asandfor the purpose hereinbelore set forth.

10. In a vehicle route indicator'or recorder having a tape, two electromagnetic clutches for feeding said tape, in opposite directions each of said clutches comprising gripper in the form of an armature above said roller and said pole, a spring connected to said electro-magnet for supporting said armature, a stationary armature adjacent to' the other pole of said electro-magnet, and

a spring tending to hold said electro-inagnet flith said other pole away from said Stationarv armature and means for intermittcntly energizingsaid electro-n'i'agnet for the purpose of attracting said gripper into contact with the tape on the'feeding roller and for attracting the stationaryarmature "for" oscillating said electr-omagnet to move said" gripper, tape and roller together, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have? signed my name to this specification.

ERNEST snRUBsoLni 

